Republican presidential primary candidate Nikki Haley on Friday attempted to advance her campaign’s narrative that former President Donald Trump is “confused,” sharing a statement he made in a video but misinterpreting what he actually said — at least, according to many social media users, who quickly dunked on her.
Trump released a video statement on E. Jean Carroll — a woman whom Democrat operatives, including Reid Hoffman, back — who has admitted to visiting convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s “Pedophile Island. Carroll has sued Trump for defamation after he vehemently denied her claims that he sexually assaulted her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the early 1990s. The accuser’s second defamation trial is underway as the jury determines the amount in damages to be paid.
“I don’t even know who this woman is. I have no idea who she is [or] where she came from. This is another scam. It’s a political witch hunt. And, somehow, we’re gonna have to fight this up. We cannot let our country go into this abyss,” Trump said in a video message.
“This is disgraceful. You have somebody running for office,” he continued, as many social media users pointed out that Trump was referring to himself in that statement.
He continued:
You have a woman that’s financed and lied about it. She totally lied about it [and is backed] by Democrat operatives, like, just about the biggest one there is. And she said that wasn’t true. They found that she lied about it. And the judge wasn’t even, I guess, letting it be put in as evidence. The whole thing is a scam. And it’s a shame and it’s a disgrace to our country.
Haley, however, tried to use the video to dunk on Trump, asserting that he was confused, as she apparently believes Trump got Carroll and Haley confused when he stated, “You have somebody running for office”:
Wait a second, did Trump just say the person suing him is "running for office?” Is he confused again? I was not in a New York City courtroom yesterday, any more than I was in charge of security at the Capitol on January 6. I was in South Carolina meeting with voters. They’d like… https://t.co/Y72NYHKVtz
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) January 26, 2024
Many social media users quickly pointed out that Haley got her interpretation wrong.
“He’s referring to himself. I don’t like the guy, but if this is the kind of apple sauce in your engine, it’s a hard pass,” one X user said.
“Ridiculous. Listen again because that’s not what he said. He’s referring to himself as the person running for office. You’re confused, not him,” another remarked.
“Nikki can’t comprehend how much she is detested by conservatives, and she’s calling someone else confused. No one wants to see you debate anyone,” another said. “You don’t represent the values of this country; you represent the old school uniparty, and that isn’t going to win anymore.”
One offered this take: “He made the point that your campaign is as much a scam as the Carroll lawsuit. And he’s right. You’re a grifter, just like E. Jean Carroll,” as other comments poured in, including:
- “No, let me explain it to you…he is speaking of himself. HE is the one running for office, and he is saying that is the reason for these legal attacks on him.”
- “So sad you have to resort to that. Watch the clip. He’s referring to himself. Sad and weak.”
- “He’s talking about himself running for office. Did you listen to the clip? Pay attention. Worry about yoself.”
- “I believe you are the one that’s confused; he has nothing of the sort. You are taking what he said out of context majorly, and you know it. Trying to get any ammunition, huh, Nikki?”
- “If this is your take, your listening skills are fearfully poor.”
- “Nikki, sounds like you’re the one confused. He definitely wasn’t talking about you.”
- “We all know what and who he was talking about.”
- “No, he didn’t, listen to it again.”
- “No, Ambassador, he didn’t. He was stating that he is running for office, and the woman coming after him is funded by the Dems. This isn’t about you, but lately, you seem to want to play victim and make it about you. It isn’t a good look.”
- “Not everything is about you, girl.”
- “Typical lefty making stuff up. Go away.”
- “It is not at all clear he is talking about you unless you took money from Democrat donors. Then he might be.”
A recent survey from Morning Consult found that the vast majority of likely Republican primary voters strongly agree that Trump is “mentally fit” despite the Haley campaign’s weak attempts to cast the former president as a confused old man with “senior” moments.
Trump’s defense comes as the trial remains underway. As Breitbart News reported, Carroll has come under even more scrutiny, as it has been revealed that the dress that she claimed she wore during the alleged assault did not even exist in the original year she claimed the alleged incident took place.
Trump Attorney Boris Epshteyn told reporters, “She said, ‘This is the dress I wore in 1994.’ They went back; they checked. The dress wasn’t even made in 1994.”
“And that’s why the date’s moved around. This is the 80s. Is it the 90s? Is it the 2000s? President Trump has consistently stated that he was falsely accused, and he has the right to defend himself,” he added.
Notably, Democrat megadonor Hoffman, who is backing Carroll, has also financially contributed to Haley’s presidential bid but has recently paused donations following her loss in both Iowa and New Hampshire.
